


Never Leave Me

by kaitlynisamused



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: AU, Childhood Friends, Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-03
Updated: 2019-03-03
Packaged: 2019-11-08 11:59:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17980907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaitlynisamused/pseuds/kaitlynisamused
Summary: Shiro and Keith are best friends. Young and full of joy, they want to believe things will always be like this. But will they?





	Never Leave Me

The smell of damp leaves encompassed Keith and Shiro as they ran hand in hand through the dense forest. Crows cawed overhead, flying away at the sound of their racing feet and rambunctious giggles. The earth beneath their feet gave way, as though they could take off and chase the sky.

Collapsing together against the base of a large tree, breathless and shaking from the exertion, they looked at each other with mischievous glee. Keith was 9, and Shiro 13. They’d grown up together in these woods; played and aged and learned between the firm oak trees and beneath the never-ending sky. 

“You promised me Shiro,” Keith whispered, squeezing his hand, his eyes blazing with confidence, “You promised me you’d do whatever I want if I won! You’ll do anything right? Absolutely anything?”

“I’m not so sure I agree that you won,” he snorted, rolling his eyes at Keith’s stern pout. The way the sunlight trailed through the leaves made it look like patterns of light were dancing across Keith’s face. It was innocent, the joy and amazement he felt in the moment. 

Grunting, Shiro nodded. When had he ever been able to say no to Keith? His mom liked to scold him for it. Begged him to stand up for himself. But Keith never asked for a lot, not really. His pudding cup at lunch. A hug when he was nervous. Never anything he wasn’t willing to give. 

Keith’s smile was radiant, sitting up with leaves and dirt now tangled in his long black hair. He reached out to pluck one out as Keith silently decided what he wanted. 

“I want you to promise me you won’t leave me.” 

Shiro froze with his hand still on the leaf he was going to remove. Blinking in surprise, he sighed, pushing himself up from his position against the tree. Keith’s mother had left him as a baby with his father. And well, his dad? Wasn’t around as much as he should be either. He worked hard to keep Keith fed and housed, but even Shiro understood how Keith must feel when he didn’t come home for days from a dangerous job. 

Considering his words, Shiro reached for his other hand, holding them both now. The pause and the action together made Keith shiver with unease, looking up at him with fear and confusion. “You… are you? Going to leave me?” 

“Not by choice,” he said honestly in return, drawing little symbols on the palms of Keith’s hands, “but… I know there’s stuff coming up in the future. My dad keeps reminding me it’s not as far away as I think it is.” Heaving a deep breath, Shiro let go of Keith’s hands to lean back once again, directing his eyes at the branches lingering overhead. “School, for one. College. My parents really want me to go to college.”

Keith was speechless, watching the lights now dance across his best friend’s skin with the same natural ease. The moment didn’t fit the words. He felt like he couldn’t breathe. 

“I can promise you I’ll never give up on you.” 

Swallowing hard, Keith choked back tears, failing as they fell to the earth between his legs. Not by choice. His dad didn’t leave by choice. He said his mother hadn’t left by choice. But they all left. They always left. “Then can you promise we’ll always be best friends?” His voice sounded weak, even to him. Shiro didn’t know whether to hug him or let him have the moment to himself. He chose the latter, still in that age range of emotional immaturity and uncertainty. 

“Yes,” Shiro said, without an ounce of doubt, “I’ll never know anyone better than you, and no one will ever know me better than you do either. They won’t know about this tree,” he commented, tapping the wood with a confident smirk, “or the secret hidey hole, or the time we accidentally almost set that field on fire-“

“That WAS an accident though!”

“Doesn’t matter, they won’t know about it, because it’s between you and me.” 

Wiping away the last of his tears, Keith was laughing now, laying back to hold Shiro’s hand again. “Then maybe you’ll leave too,” he admitted, “but we’ll always come back to each other. Always always. If you think you can get away, I’m the faster runner. I’ll keep chasing you.”

Closing their eyes, they took a nap beneath the noonday sun. The wind caressed their cheeks, and the rays from above blanketed their bodies. There was certainty in the moment of peace.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I'm hoping to add onto this, but will definitely be needing to plot a bit more. Sorry this is so short! I hope you guys enjoy, please feel free to leave any comments/suggestions! Sheith is so near and dear to my heart.


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